(Above) Michael T. Grant is wanted for two felony counts of repeated sexual of the same child. The above mug shot was taken in 2000, which was the most recent photo the Sheriff's Department has available. (click for larger version)

December 09, 2010The Walworth County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Task Force is seeking help from the public in locating a 44-year-old man who has an active warrant for allegedly sexually assaulting a child.
Michael T. Grant's last known address is on Constance Boulevard in the village of Williams Bay.
Grant, who also goes by Tim Grant, is known to frequent horse shows and has worked as a horse trainer in the past. He could currently be employed as a horse trainer, according to the press release.

December 09, 2010Fontana — One trustee's argument was the proposed development doesn't jibe with the village's recently adopted Master Plan.
Other trustees admitted they received overwhelmingly negative feedback on the proposal by Steve Beers. However, it was difficult to find a legal reason to deny the Hawks Woods proposal.
On Monday night, Beers' development was approved on a 5-2 vote. Village President Arvid "Pete" Petersen and trustees Patrick Kenny, Peg Pollitt, Thomas McGreevy and George Spadoni voted in favor of it. Trustees Cynthia Wilson and Micki O'Connell voted against it.

Therapy dog visits Golden Years

December 09, 2010Walworth — Sometimes it only takes a smile to make someone's day. Other times it just takes the wag of a tail.
Dakota, a German Shepherd mutt, wags his tail every other Wednesday at the Golden Years of Walworth, sharing his furry smile to residents.
As a therapy dog, Dakota allows residents to pet him, cuddle up next to him and sometimes he even gives residents kisses.

Recent Geneva Lake West

Illegal immigrant faces identity theft chargeDecember 02, 2010An illegal immigrant thought he was making a deal.In exchange for using a man’s Social Security number, the illegal immigrant would make the man’s child support payments.However, it appears he didn’t make the deal with the man who owns the Social Security number.

Tornado creates scary moments at local schoolsDecember 02, 2010Fontana — “The lights did flicker a few times and those were silent moments,” Walworth Elementary Principal Pamela Larson said last Wednesday, two days after a tornado touched down only a few miles from the school.On Monday, Nov. 22, a tornado touched down on Lakeville Road in rural Walworth. At the school, students, teachers, parents and even bus drivers waited patiently in secure locations within the building hoping the storm would pass.After the storm ended, four homes in rural Linn and Walworth townships were damaged, but the tornado didn’t affect the school. During the storm, administrators took precautions to keep kids and adults safe.

What is appropriate to teach middle school students?Legally, district may need to teach about contraceptive useNovember 25, 2010Walworth — It isn’t an easy subject to approach. However, the state law has changed on how schools teach it, and Walworth Elementary School is discussing how that will affect its curriculum. A group of parents and educators are reviewing the school’s human growth and development curriculum and whether the school will continue teaching it.

Victorian Christmas pays tribute to TeichowNovember 25, 2010Sharon — If Sandra Teichow never was the Sharon Main Street director, popular events such as Model-A Day and The Victorian Christmas might not be community traditions.This year, the Victorian Christmas, which is scheduled for Dec. 3, will be dedicated to Teichow, who was killed Oct. 14 in Racine. “She is our guest of honor and I’m sure she will be with us even though we can’t see her,” said Mary Kay Black, who is helping organize the event.

Kikkoman calls for negotiationsNovember 18, 2010Walworth — Representatives from Kikkoman Foods have denied the company threatened to stop making a minimal payment to the sewage treatment plant.Instead, Kikkoman Vice President of Administration Dan Miller said the company wants to renegotiate the payment arrangement.Two weeks ago, the villages of Walworth and Fontana met in closed session to discuss possible litigation with Kikkoman Foods.

Bay budget, levy up, but tax rate expected to declineNovember 18, 2010Williams Bay — The numbers must have looked right, because the Village Board on Monday unanimously approved the levy and budget for 2011 with no comment or amendment.The only resident to comment during the public hearing was Vernon Choyce, former school board president.“I thank you for doing a fine job,” Choyce told the board.

Attorney: Whowells own the lakefrontJensen critical of Gempeler’s findingsNovember 11, 2010Fontana — After months of review, the Whowells still own the lakefront. An independent attorney has determined that the Lake Street business owners have riparian rights to Geneva Lake, but that hasn’t silenced a critic who has dismissed the findings.In July, Madison-based attorney Hank Gempeler was hired by the Community Development Authority to investigate the issue.

School Board must weigh budget cutsNovember 04, 2010Williams Bay — Now starts the process of cutting costs to match income.The Williams Bay School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 to start bridging the $609,000 gap between what is budgeted to keep the district going into the 2010-11 school year, and what it expects in revenues. Reasons for the projected shortfall include declining enrollment and increases in teacher pay and benefits.

Is a lawsuit brewing with Kikkoman?Villages of Walworth, Fontana hold closed door meetingNovember 04, 2010Fontana — The soy sauce manufacturer and the two municipalities work together at the Fontana Walworth Water Pollution Control Commission, but that relationship soon may be in turmoil. The Walworth and Fontana village boards met behind closed doors Monday night to discuss possible litigation with Kikkoman Foods. It appears Kikkoman is planning to back out of a billing agreement, which could end up increasing sewer rates for village residents.

Fatal police shooting in Wal-Mart under review 1 year later
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A year after a 22-year-old black man was killed by a white police officer while carrying an air rifle in an Ohio Wal-Mart, federal officials' review of the case remains unfinished as his relatives plan an anniversary vigil — and the region grapples with the aftermath of a different deadly police shooting...